Waiters' Tales and Rants

As I am travelling overseas again, specifically in the US; I was searching for good places and restaurants to go to and come across this legendary blog: Waiter Rant. A New York waiter's experiences and the hot topic of tipping!

http://waiterrant.net/

Another blog, this one is a west coast waiter's tales in the famous/infamous (depending on how you look at it!) Hollywood, LA resto Spago and Poison Ivy. Nice reading and plenty of valuable advice, especially on tipping (again!) that waiters in the US always rant about.

http://hollywoodvipwaiter.blogspot.com/

I must say that US waiters, next to US actors; are a well awarded bunch of people. People always are grateful of waiters for a job well done and pat on the back with a hefty tip! I wish people here at work do that to me... sigh...

My favourite Pinoy artists

Senor Enrique (aka Eric) blogged the works of Palma Tayona via his Wish You Were Here blog. I then "discovered" Palma and his works bordering on what you might call "obsession" with malusog people; that is, obese subjects. He offered his explanation for this obsession (that is your motivation to read his blog!) in one of his entries in his blog.

I can understand that artists has this "obsession", if you can call it that; it is just that they have favourite subjects. I have the same "obsessions" (not that I am an artist! Just a wannabe...) with photographing silhouttes, tree trunks and flowers in bloom.

Also reading his blog, he "introduced" me to another Pinoy artist, krayolaeater aka Dex Fernandez.

So these two Pinoy artists are my favourites at the moment. Visit their web sites and see for yourself. You might even love their works that you may want to purchase some, I know I will!

http://visualviscera.blogspot.com/

http://krayolaeater.deviantart.com/

Sidney's Sari sari store

This expat's photo blog is one of the first blogs I started to visit. I was enamoured by his subjects' - just a series of too common scenes in the Philippines. To a foreigner's eyes not accustomed to these scenes, they are unique and a "breath of fresh air" so to speak.

With his interpretations of these everyday subjects, Pinoys have re-discovered their surroundings, their enrironments, their heritage and their culture. Thanks to Sidney and his Sarisari Store!

http://my_sarisari_store.typepad.com/

http://my_sarisari_store.typepad.com/sarisari_tattoo/
His up and coming tattoo blog.

Nut Art: Making the Coconut a Work of Art

http://www.nutart.blogspot.com/

This Pinay and her German partner runs a resort and creates coconut shells as souvenirs. Nowadays they consign these miniature work of arts to Tesoro's and Ayala Museum, that is how popular their creations are. One of the best souvenirs one can buy when travelling to and from the Philippines, not your run of the mill crappy Pinoy souvenir. It may not be cheap but I am sure it will be a collectible someday. Great site as well!

Also see Bernadette's other advocacy: Puerto Galera's Rain Forests -

http://puertogalera.rainforest.googlepages.com/main

Ala lang...

This is one of earlier blogs I've seen when I was trawling her dad's blog: Apo Jim Paredes. What got me interested in their blogs are the postings of their recent (which a couple of years ago!) experiences in moving to Australia.

As a migrant myself, I felt connected to their then new experiences and angst of being away with relatives and friends in the Philippines.

As you read their new lives in Sydney, you will feel how they have adjusted and embraced the Oz experience, free from yayas and housemaids. Nice and compelling reading, especially from a young and very talented lady: Ala.

http://www.ala-ism.pansitan.net/